aFavorite Magazine Is Now a Show!

[KellyTheChef]

Hey all, we were talking about our favorite magazines to get quick tips and ideas for use at our shows or on our PWS. My favorite is Cook's Country magazine. Well...they have a brand new show starting this month on public TV! Check out Cook's Country TV I searched for it on my DVR and here it is starting on Saturday on PBS...not sure about other areas of the country!

I am thinking that this show will have LOTS of good tips and ideas, just like their magazine!!

Hope this helps someone!

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Looks like it will be a great show! I will hit record now!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Looks like it will be a great show! I will hit record now!

Yep...my DVR is set to record any and all new episodes so I won't miss anything! I love DVR's!

 

[tabnat80]

Aww dang. Isn't airing in my area. Looks like a great show though. I love any show that involves cooking.

 

[tabnat80]

I did just order my free trial try me out magazine from them.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Tabatha...you will LOVE the magazine! No advertising!! (which, BTW, is probably why the cost of a subscription is a bit higher than normal...but SO WORTH IT!!)

 

[chefann]

Cook's Country is put out by the same people as Cook's Illustrated, it's just got a slightly different emphasis on "homier" cooking. There's a companion show to CI that airs on PBS, too: America's Test Kitchen.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Cook's Country is put out by the same people as Cook's Illustrated, it's just got a slightly different emphasis on "homier" cooking. There's a companion show to CI that airs on PBS, too: America's Test Kitchen.

Oh! I will have to go look for that one so I can tape it too!

I think the "homier" emphasis is why I like cooks country better than the other one!

 

[Nanisu]

A friend gave me a subscription to this magazine earlier this year--I LOVE IT!! The recipes are amazing. Can't wait to see the show!

 

[Fluffy215]

I work on Saturdays at my local grocery store "demoing" a weekly recipe (Luckily I get to use my PC tools) Anyways, the recipes are from this magazine Granted the one I did this past weekend (Indoor BBQ Chicken Skewers) is from the June 2007 issue but it was sooooooo good. People loved it, and it had a bit of heat added to it. Definitely a great place to find recipes to demo. In fact a couple weeks ago I demoed the Greek Pita Pizza from the April 2007 issue and got a booking because of it. The host wants me to make this for the recipe

 

[Chef Kearns]

Fluffy...how did you get that gig?! It sounds wonderful! Are you paid? Do you have to pay? Do they provide the ingredients? Which grocery store? I am intrigued!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Well...the first one taped this morning and I really liked it!

Kindof like "reading" one of their magazines, but in person! lol

I am seriously wanting to make both the "Chocolate Blackout" cake and Homemade Strawberry Poke Cake! I liked all of the extra tips they gave!!

Yeah. I need to go find the recipe and make that chocolate cake! Plus...in this (Oct/Nov 08) issue of Cook's Country, I am IN LOVE with the Chocolate Shadow Cake shown on the last page. I need some chocolate cake!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Here is the link to their website for recipes and tips:
Cook's Country TV

Chocolate Blackout Cake
From the episode: Forgotten Cakes
It’s been over 35 years since once-renowned Ebinger’s Baking Company in Brooklyn closed its doors. We set out to recreate one of its most beloved recipes.
Serves 10 to 12.

Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you'll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.

Ingredients
Pudding
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for greasing pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting pans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Instructions
• 1. For the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk in large saucepan. Set pan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate melts and mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and transfer pudding to large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
• 2. For the cake layers: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.
• 3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.
• 4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.
• 5. To assemble the cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread remaining pudding evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle cake crumbs evenly over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere crumbs. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Step by Step
Assemble Blackout Cake (pictures to go with these instructions are on the website!!)
1. Using your hands, crumble one cake layer into medium-sized crumbs.

2. Spread the pudding all over the top and sides of the cake.

3. Sprinkle the reserved cake crumbs all over the top and sides of the cake, then use your hands to gently press the crumbs into the pudding.









Strawberry Poke Cake
From the episode: Forgotten Cakes

This cake was invented in 1969 to increase Jell-O sales. But when we made the recipe, we encountered dull strawberry flavor and soggy boxed-mix cake. Here’s the fix.

Serves 12.

The top of the cake will look slightly overbaked—this keeps the crumb from becoming too soggy after the gelatin is poured on top.



Ingredients
Cake
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for preparing pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for preparing pan
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large egg whites
1 3/4 cups sugar

Syrup and Topping
4 cups frozen strawberries
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream

Instructions
1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk milk, vanilla, and egg whites in large measuring cup.

2. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately, in two batches, beating after each addition until combined, about 30 seconds each time. Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir. Scrape into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan, at least 1 hour. Once cool, cake can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

3. For the syrup and topping: Heat 3 cups strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, juice, and water in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until liquid is deep red and strawberries are softened, about 10 minutes. Strain liquid into bowl, reserving solids, then whisk gelatin into liquid. Let cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, poke about 50 holes in top of cooled cake (see photos). Slowly pour cooled liquid evenly over top of cake. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until gelatin is set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

5. Pulse reserved strained strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining strawberries in food processor until mixture resembles strawberry jam. Spread strawberry mixture evenly over cake. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream with remaining sugar to soft peaks. Spread cream over strawberries. Cut cake into squares and serve.


Step by Step (pictures to go along with these directions are on the website!)
Perfecting the Poke Finding the right poking device wasn't as simple as you might think. Toothpicks were too small, while straws, handles of wooden spoons, pencils, and fingers were too big. A wooden skewer finally did the trick. But just poking didn't create a large enough hole for the liquid to seep into. In order to create deep lines of red color against the white crumb, we had to poke and then twist the skewer to really separate the crumb.


1. Using a skewer, poke about 50 deep holes all over the top of the cake, but be careful not to poke all the way through to the bottom. Twist the skewer to make the holes slightly bigger, which will allow more liquid to sink into each hole.


2.Slowly pour the cooled gelatin mixture evenly over the entire surface of the cake.